yet I am thine! Thou hast redeemed me; it is thy good pleasure to save me. Glorify thy name. 'I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee. Sing, O ye heavens; for the Lord hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest and every green tree therein; for the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel.'
"'For if by one man's offence, death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace, and of the gift of righteousness, shall reign in life by one, Christ Jesus. Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: that as sin hath reigned unto death, so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord.'
"'Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. Surely shall one say, In the Lord have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed. In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.' 'Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel. Even to your old age, I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.' Isa. 45:22; 46:3.
"'Thus saith the Lord; I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep
that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country. And I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord God. I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick.' Ezek. 34:11. He hath done it, I am his witness: I, the poor wanderer, the happy subject of this grace. 'And I will raise up for them a plant of renown,' my Jesus, 'and they shall be no 'more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more. Thus shall they know that I the Lord their God am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are my people, saith the Lord God. And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord God.' Ezek. 34:29. 'As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth, even for ever.' Psa. 125:2.
"'When the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own way and by their doings. And I scattered them among the heathen, and they were dispersed through the countries; according to their ways and according to their doings I judged them. And when they entered unto the heathen,
whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of the Lord, and are gone forth out of his land. But I had pity for my holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went. Therefore say unto the house of Israel, thus saith the Lord God: I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for my holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went. And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, saith the Lord God, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. I will also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you. And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that ye shall receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen. Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities, and for your abominations. Not for your sakes do I this, saith the
Lord God, be it known unto you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel.' Ezek. 36:17, etc."
EZEKIEL 16:63; 36:32.
A SCRIPTURE PARAPHRASE BY D. B——.
"Not for your sakes; for, born unclean,
The slaves of Satan and of sin.
I saw no comeliness in you,
To bid my grace such wonders do.
"Not for your sakes; for when my love
And grace should your affections move,
The working of an evil heart
Still makes you from my truth depart.
"Not for your sakes; for, bold and blind,
To lust and avarice inclined,
Each shadowy idol you obey,
Disowning my paternal sway.
"Not for your sakes; with heaven in view,
For sin you sell your souls anew;
You barter, for a gilded bait,
The joys of an eternal state.
"Not for your sakes; for though you eyed
The cross of Christ on which he died,
You scorn his love for worldly ends,
And wound him in the house of friends.
"Not for your sakes; with Jesus' name,
You put him to an open shame;
And by your sins, consent again
To have the dear Redeemer slain.
"Not for your sakes; 'tis my free grace
That grants you pardon, life, and peace;
And works a change on all your frame,
And binds you to adore my name.
"Not for my sake! — I hail the sound;
Let power of grace my pride confound:
Salvation is a work divine;
Confusion and the shame be mine.
"Not for my sake! — did I but trust
To weakness, vanity, and dust,
I ne'er could reach the heavenly prize,
Nor hope a mansion in the skies.
"Not for my sake! — yet save and call;
Let Jesus be my all in all:
When glory comes I'll self disown,
And grace, free grace shall wear the crown."